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Canadiens: Kicking Off The Weekend With A Stop In St. Louis

After pulling off a spectacular comeback win against the Carolina Hurricanes on New Year’s Day, the Montreal Canadiens held an optional skate on Friday, and they’ll be back in action on Saturday afternoon against the St. Louis Blues. It will be the last duel between the two teams this season after Jim Montgomery’s men won the first match 4-3 in Montreal in early December. Saturday’s hosts have won six of the last 10 confrontations between the two sides, but they are having a tough season.

The Blues are currently sixth in the Central division with 40 points, 10 points behind the Canadiens, even though St. Louis has played two more games. Still, they’ve not been doing too badly of late with a 5-4-1 record in their last 10 games, and they won their previous game against the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, when Brayden Schenn scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes to go in the game.

Canadiens’ Rookies Dominate On Both Sides Of The Atlantic
Canadiens Have Intriguing Trade Target In Penguins Forward
Canadiens: Caufield and Hutson Snubbed By Team USA

Joel Hoffer was on duty against the Knights on Friday night, meaning Jordan Binnington is likely to draw in tonight against the Habs. The Team Canada goaltender has a 4-4-0 record against the Tricolore with a 3.41 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage. As for Hoffer, he’s won his only game against the Habs and has a 3.00 GAA and a .909 SV against them.

Meanwhile, Samuel Montembeault, who was convincing in his first start back in the NHL on Tuesday, has a 2-2-0 record against the Blues with a 3.64 GAA and a .887 SV. As for Jakub Dobes, he has a 0-1-0 record, a 4.48 GAA, and a .783 SV. He was in the net for the 4-3 loss against Montgomery’s men in December and could only muster 14 saves on the 18 shots faced then. Finally, Jacob Fowler has never faced tonight’s hosts, but he's still going to be in the net this afternoon.

Up front, the Canadiens will need to be wary of Brayden Schenn, the centerman, who has 31 points in 32 games against the Habs, including three points in the last duel. Defenseman Cam Fowler is the Blues’ second most productive player against Montreal with 18 points in 24 games, and Robert Thomas rounds up the top three. He may have only 14 points, but he earned them in just nine games.

As for the Blues, they’ll need to keep a close eye on captain Nick Suzuki, the newly minted Olympian, who has 12 points in 11 games against the Missouri outfit, while sniper Cole Caufield, who Team USA once more snubbed, has 10 points in nine games. Brendan Gallagher remains the Habs’ most productive forward against the Blues, though, with 15 points in 19 games.

The game is set for 4:00 PM at the Enterprise Center, and you can catch it on FDSNMW, TSN2, and RDS. The Canadiens will try to win a third game in a row for the first time since November 22 to 28, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Utah Mammoth, and the Knights. After the game, the Canadiens will immediately head to Texas, where they’ll face the Dallas Stars at 2:00 PM on Sunday.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Islanders Recall Defenseman Cole McWard From Bridgeport Ahead Of Game vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

The New York Islanders have recalled defenseman Cole McWard from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League ahead of their Saturday night showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

McWard, 24, is a right-shot defenseman out of Fenton, Missouri, who has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 29 games with Bridgeport this season. 

An undrafted free agent out of Ohio State University, McWard signed with the Vancouver Canucks following the 2022-23 season, playing in five games, scoring his one and only NHL goal. 

The following season, 2023-24, McWard got one NHL game, playing 57 for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He recorded 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 57 games before 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 67 games last season. 

This past summer, McWard signed a one-year, two-way deal that carries an NHL cap hit of $775,000. 

We will see if McWard makes his Islanders debut on Saturday. Head coach Patrick Roy said following Friday's practice that they hadn't decided if Adam Boqvist would play alongside Scott Mayfield.

That spot had been Marshall Warren's for the last six games. He was returned to Bridgeport on Friday. 

Puck drop comes your way at 7 PM ET from UBS Arena. 

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Columbus Blue Jackets (40 pts) vs. Buffalo Sabres (46 pts) Game Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to take on the Buffalo Sabres today at 3 PM. 

Buffalo Sabres - 21-14-4 - 46 Points - 10-0-0 in the last 10 - 4th in the Atlantic

Columbus Blue Jackets - 17-16-6 - 40 Points - 4-6-0 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro  

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 18.6% - 19th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 75.0% - 30th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 114 - 21st in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 130 - 22nd in the NHL

Sabres Stats

  • Power Play - 18.8% - 18th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 85.0% - 2nd in the NHL
  • Goals For - 121 - 18th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 121 - 17th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Sabres

  • Columbus is 28-16-1-3 all-time, and 13-8-1-0 at home vs. Buffalo.
  • The CBJ are 10-4-3 in the last 17 against the Sabres.
  • The Blue Jackets have killed off 11 straight Buffalo power plays.

Who To Watch For TheSabres

  • Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 20 goals and 37 points.
  • Rasmus Dahlin leads the team with 24 assists.
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 7-5-1 with a SV% of .903.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Sabres

  • Zach Werenski has 17 points in 20 career games vs. Buffalo.
  • Boone Jenner has 14 points in 25 games.
  • Kirill Marchenko has 4 goals and 8 points in 9 games against the Sabres. He also has one career hat trick.
  • Elvis Merzlikins has a career record of 2-2-0, with a SV% of .864 vs. Buffalo.

Injuries 

  • Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 34 Games - IR - No timeline for a return
  • Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 2 Games - IR
  • Miles Wood - Lower Body - IR - Week-to-week
  • Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game IR - Week to week

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 85

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

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Graduates reunited: Chelsea’s former Manchester City talents return

Palmer and Delap are among five academy players who learnt their trade at City, as links between the clubs grow

Chelsea’s visit to Manchester City on Sunday will be a homecoming for members of the travelling party. Five Chelsea players were nurtured at the academy that sits a few hundred yards from the Etihad Stadium, on the other side of a bridge.

The London club’s recent recruitment has been heavily influenced by City’s teaching of players and coaches. Tosin Adarabioyo, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were members of City’s youth ranks, most working there under Enzo Maresca. If one thread was unpicked this week when Maresca dramatically departed Chelsea, the link remains strong because Sunday’s caretaker, Calum McFarlane, was formerly the under-18s assistant manager at City.

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Russell Westbrook passes Oscar Robertson to become highest scoring point guard in NBA history

With a driving layup midway through the fourth quarter Friday night, Russell Westbrook made history.

Westbrook passed the legendary Oscar Robertson to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer among point guards with 26,711 points.

Westbrook, a future Hall of Famer, is now 15th all-time in the NBA in scoring.

"I didn't know that he broke another record tonight. He continues to break records," Kings coach Doug Christie said postgame. "Russ is a freak of nature. His competitiveness, his competitive drive, his spirit to continue to play as hard as he does, I think this is year 18 or whatever it is. Always been a fan of his and it's an absolute honor to coach him."

Westbrook finished with 17 points and teammate Keegan Murray had 23 for Sacramento, but it was not near enough on a night Devin Booker had 33 to lead the Suns to a comfortable 129-102 victory.

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Rangers beat Panthers 5-1 in first outdoor hockey game in Miami

NHL: Winter Classic-New York Rangers at Florida Panthers

Jan 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view inside the stadium as the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers warm up prior to the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

MIAMI (AP) — Have a day, Mika Zibanejad.

He made Sweden’s Olympic team, had a hat trick and put together the first five-point NHL outdoor game in history, all in the span of a few hours, to help the New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Friday night in the Winter Classic — the first outdoor game played in the Sunshine State.

Artemi Panarin scored twice, Alexis Lafrenière had three assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots for the Rangers, who improved to 6-0-0 when playing outdoors.

“I think it’s hard to grasp the whole day,” Zibanejad said. “But yeah, a great 12, 16 hours. It’s been a fun day.”

Sam Reinhart scored for Florida, which was playing outdoors for the first time and lost for the fourth time in its last six contests overall. The Panthers gave up goals to Zibanejad and Panarin 64 seconds apart late in the first period, giving New York a 2-0 lead, and the Rangers kept control the rest of the way.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said the NHL deserved enormous credit for pulling off an event he called “spectacular.”

“A Southern setting (and) the ice was fine,” Maurice said. “The spectacle was incredible. It was just brilliant, the entire kind of weekend. ... I would imagine the Rangers really loved it. But for the losing coach, it was an incredible memory.”

Florida outshot New York 37-20 and had 38 hits to New York’s 20, but watched the Rangers block of its 27 shot attempts.

The star of the night was Zibanejad, who reached five points in a game for the fourth time.

“He’s one of our core players,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said. “We rely on him in so many circumstances out there on both sides of the puck.”

Zibanejad’s third goal was an empty-netter with 1:28 left. Rangers fans tried throwing hats to no avail; the seats were too far from the ice for any of them to get even close to the playing surface.

“We have amazing support wherever we go,” Zibanejad said.

The roof was open, as were the huge window panels behind what typically is left field at loanDepot Park — home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins. There was some snow falling from the edges of the stadium, there were blasts of fire and after years of planning, there was hockey on a baseball field.

“Awesome experience,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “Really happy I was able to able to experience something like this. Would have loved to get the win, but at the end of the day, a true first-class experience.”

Did it work? Outdoor ice typically doesn’t hold up with temperatures in the 60s, and there were some player complaints that the surface wasn’t conducive to speedy play. But it worked well enough for the Rangers, who were 4-6-3 in their last 13 games coming into Friday.

“These events are a lot more fun and a lot more memorable when you win,” Zibanejad said.

The temperature of 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) at game time was the second-warmest of any of the NHL’s 44 outdoor games that have counted in the standings. It was 2 degrees cooler than on Feb. 27, 2016, when Detroit beat Colorado at Denver’s Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.

The Rangers — with a snow effect around their walkway — were called to the ice at 8:13 p.m. The Panthers — as fire shot skyward along their path — came out about a minute later. And that’s about when snowflakes began falling from the top of the stadium, as the roof continued opening.

There was another celebration before faceoff, when Rangers and Panthers players who will be part of the U.S. Olympic hockey team at the Milan Cortina Games next month were introduced. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones made the team earlier Friday, as did injured Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Tkachuk placed an American flag over Jones’ shoulders and the crowd roared.

It was a spectacle, as expected. The Rangers showed up in all-white outfits, as if it was a beach day. The Panthers came with a “Miami Vice” theme, wearing white suits, pastel shirts and even showing up in Ferraris instead of a bus.

“If you would have asked me 25 years ago ... this might be the last place that I thought it would take place,” Sullivan said. “So, I just think it speaks volumes for technology and its advancements and the ability to put a sheet of ice down in this type of environment.”

Up next

Rangers: Host Utah on Monday.

Panthers: Host Colorado on Sunday.

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Luka Doncic and LeBron James help fuel late Lakers surge in win over Grizzlies

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 2, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
LeBron James is called for a foul after making contact with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant while driving to the basket during the Lakers' 128-121 win Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

There have been good weeks and bad weeks for the Lakers this season.

Ahead of Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they were trending downward after losing four of their last five games.

The Memphis game turned into a microcosm of that trend, with the Lakers building leads through effort and intensity only to see them crumble behind less-inspired play.

In the end, standout performances from Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Lakers surge late and hold on for a 128-121 win at Crypto.com Arena.

Read more:Lakers takeaways: Pistons dominate paint as Lakers close out a sub-.500 December

Doncic and James made sure the 15-point lead the Lakers held before it dissolved by the end of the third quarter wasn't completely achieved in vain. Doncic made 17 of 20 free throws in scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

They got help from Jake LaRavia, who scored 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting in addition to nine rebounds and stellar defense. Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Jaxson Hayes scored 12 points off the bench.

The Lakers improved to an NBA-best 11-0 when within five or fewer points of their opponent heading into the final five minutes.

“I think we have a lot of people that closed the game, especially (me), when LeBron, he took over today,” Doncic said. “(Jarred Vanderbilt) hit a big shot. Jake hit a big shot. Jaxson had a big dunk. So, it's just everybody.”

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks over Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and center Jock Landale.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks over Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) and center Jock Landale (31) in the fourth quarter Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It was a group effort that helped the Lakers seal the win in the fourth quarter. It also marked the first time since March that Doncic and James scored at least 30 points in the same game.

“It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive. Obviously, Luka did a great job of getting to the free-throw line. ... He made a step-back three, a big-time shot there.

"Myself, just trying to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. Just trying to be consistent and be super efficient with my play. So we worked well off each other today and we led the group.”

The Lakers (21-11) went down 110-109 in the fourth quarter before going on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.

The teams will meet again here Sunday night.

“We made some big-time plays offensively and we were sharing the ball, and guys made some big-time shots,” James said. “Vando’s three, Jake’s three on the other side of their bench at the end of the shot clock, Jax had a big-time dunk down the middle. So, those are key moments. And then defensively, we were able to get a couple shots, get a couple rebounds. That allowed us to kind of start pushing the lead up.”

Vincent update

Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) missed his seventh straight game, but Redick said the team hopes he can practice Saturday and that if he does, it will “be modified.”

Redick said Vincent will not play Sunday against the Grizzlies, but the hope is that he can play either at New Orleans on Tuesday or at San Antonio on Wednesday.

"We've got to get him exposure to live play, and with the travel day on Monday, that's gonna be tough," Redick said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Unbeaten Huskers appreciate the love but say wins over ranked teams no longer justify court storms

Nebraska's Rienk Mast and Jamarques Lawrence sent a message to the home fans after their victory Friday night over No. 9 Michigan State: Thanks for the support, but please quit storming the court. Fans poured onto the floor at the final buzzer to celebrate the 58-56 victory that extended the 13th-ranked Cornhuskers' program-best start to 14-0. “If you're the No. 13 against the No. 9 and you’re at home, in my opinion, you’re supposed to win that game,” Mast said.